


Two Hands To Hold

by AsterAspera



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Polyamory, Post-Canon, Rating May Change, Reader-Insert, Self-Indulgent, Slow Burn, talking about feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:53:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24355372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsterAspera/pseuds/AsterAspera
Summary: You were happy with the end of the war, of course you were. It was something you had been working towards for years. Years of blood, pain, betrayal and lost childhoods. But when it ended, it didn’t feel like the paradise it should have felt like.~The best friends squad head to space on an epic quest to return magic to the universe. You, a former rebellion spy, accompany them. But there are still so many questions that need to be answered.How will you cope with what the war took from you? How will you make up for the wrongs of the past? And most importantly, how will you cope with your feelings towards Catra and Adora, preferably without ruining your friendship?
Relationships: Adora (She-Ra)/Reader, Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)/Reader, Catra (She-Ra)/Reader
Comments: 27
Kudos: 339





	1. After The War

**Author's Note:**

> So I know slash-reader stories aren't everyone's cup of tea and I respect that. But I had a lot of fun writing this and decided to post it anyways. If you don't like it, just don't read it and please be nice. On the off chance there is someone out there who enjoyed this totally self indulgent fic, feel free to leave kudos or a comment.

You were happy with the end of the war, of course you were. It was something you had been working towards for years. Years of blood, pain, betrayal and lost childhoods. But when it ended, it didn’t feel like the paradise it should have felt like. There were the obvious factors of course: rebuilding the fright zone wasn’t a walk in the park, neither was facing the mess your mother had made when she ruled. Luckily you had your step-sister Scorpia and all your friends supporting you.

There was something else, some dark selfish thing that curled up in your stomach and tainted each happy moment like poisoned wine. It reared its ugly head whenever Catra and Adora looked at each other with those soft, love sick eyes. You tried to ignore it, tried to be happy for them.

You knew how long they had pined after each other and you had never resented either of them for their feelings towards the other, even when you and Catra were together. They deserved to be happy, to have each other. That knowledge didn’t take away the dark feeling.

It wasn’t exactly jealousy, you knew what that felt like. You had felt the burning, corrosive feeling often enough whenever your mother praised Scorpia, who was just being her useless self whilst you tried so hard to please her. You had accepted those feelings now, no longer resented Scorpia for the way your mother treated her.

This feeling was different, softer, more of a gaping hole than a clawing beast, a choking sadness in your chest. You wanted them to be happy together but you wanted to be part of that happiness, you wanted to share in those looks they gave each other, wake up next to both of them instead of in an empty bed.

You shook yourself out of your thoughts as you noticed Adora heading towards you. Her face was red from all dancing and her hair was coming loose from her ponytail. Despite yourself you smiled softly and suppressed the urge to tuck a wisp of hair behind her ear.

You handed her the glass in your hands which she had been eyeing thirstily. She chugged it back in record time.

“Ugh, I hate dancing” She griped. “You looked like you were having fun” You threw back. She had been dancing with Catra and the whole time you had been unable to tear your eyes away from their graceful, twisting bodies.

She looked towards where Catra was being harassed by Bow and Sea Hawk, who were trying to draw her into singing a shanty with them. Adora’s lips curled up into a soft smile. “We should probably go rescue her” She said.

“Wait, can Catra even sing?” You asked, you had never heard her sing before. She turned towards you and whispered conspiratorially “She’s a great singer but don’t ever tell her I told you that.” You smirked and filed that information away for later use. You were going to make Catra sing, even if it was the last thing you did. Knowing Catra it probably would be the last thing you did.

You and Adora walked over to Catra to save her from the shanties. “Adora, I’m going to kill your friends.” She growled, trying to sound menacing. The effect was kind of off set by the soft smile on her lips and the mischievous glint in her eyes. “We talked about this Catra, no killing my friends.” She replied, her tone soft and teasing. “Aw, you’d never hurt us, you love us too much” Bow cooed. You smiled to yourself as Catra and Bow bickered, whatever your feelings were, you were happy to part of the best friends squad.

The party that was being thrown in celebration of the rebuilding of Bright Moon continued well into the night and after most of the guests had gone home or retired to their rooms, you joined the best friends squad in Glimmer’s room for a long overdue sleepover.

You and Catra headed to your room to pick up more pillows and blankets from your room. Catra flopped down on your bed and you bent down to fold up some blankets which were strewn on the floor.

“I never apologized for the things I did back at the horde” You said, your voice quiet. “Huh?” Catra sat up on the bed. “Why?” “Why what? You mean why am I apologizing?” You asked, Catra had apologized to you shortly after you saved her from Prime but you had brushed it off, not wanting to get too deep into what had happened between you two. Now it felt like the time to address it.

“I’m not apologizing for betraying the Horde, I don’t regret doing that.” You explained “But I want to apologize for playing with your feelings like that.” Catra blinked, a guarded expression coming up on her face as she thought about the times you had shared with her in the Horde. “The whole time I was undercover in the Horde I pushed people away, so I wouldn’t hurt them when I left, so I wouldn’t hurt myself when I betrayed them. I don’t know why I let you in but it was a mistake. It was selfish and dumb and I knew I would leave you but I still promised to stay, so I’m sorry for stringing you along like that and then leaving. I don’t regret betraying the horde but I regret betraying you, you were one of the only friends I ever had.”

You took a deep breath, blinking away the tears that started forming after your outburst. You were still looking at the blankets in front of you and resolutely you continued folding them. You felt Catra sit down next to you, she grabbed one of the blankets from the pile and folded it up.

“I forgive you.” She said. “It hurt at first, I thought you chose Adora above me, but I get it now. I don’t really think I get to be angry about that, I wasn’t really the best friend.” “So we’re good now?” You asked relief colouring you voice.” “Yeah.” Catra sighed.

A silence fell over the two of you, which quickly turned awkward as you remembered the nature of your relationship.

“So about our uhm… friendship…” Catra began. You sprung up from the floor, face red “Nothing to talk about. That was the Horde and you’re dating Adora now, so it’s fine let’s just accept it and move on.” Catra looked at you strangely and you did your best to act nonchalant, intimately aware of the flush on your cheeks.

“Okay, whatever. C’mon Sparkles is probably wondering where we are.” You gathered up the blankets and pillows and chucked half the pile towards Catra, who fumbled to catch them.

You quietly slunk through the halls of Bright Moon. Arms full of pillows and blankets.

“There you are,” Glimmer exclaimed when you entered her room “We were scared you guys had fallen asleep!”

You spread out the blankets under the window, the stars in clear view. Everyone quickly settled down, too exhausted after the party and the weeks of organizing and rebuilding to talk much. Bow curled up against your back, his arm around Glimmer. Next to you Adora tucked Catra against herself and dug her uncomfortably cold feet into your thighs. Despite the elbows and feet digging into you at awkward angles, you felt at peace.

Tomorrow you would organize the rebuilding of the Fright Zone with Scorpia, you would figure out a plan and discuss how Scorpia would handle rebuilding and ruling when you went to space with your friends. You felt guilty about leaving Scorpia to handle the Fright Zone mess on her own, but she had made it clear that she didn’t mind you going to space. And you wouldn’t be leaving without at least setting up a concrete plan of action for the rebuilding. She wouldn’t be alone either, she had the support of the whole rebellion on her side and especially that of a certain very excited flower princess.

Going to space would mean getting to spend more time with your best friends and especially Catra and Adora. Also, you got to see different planets and meet new people. The prospect of going to space excited you and you looked forward to seeing what all those planets had to offer.


	2. Space Awaits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not entirely happy with this chapter but I wanted to post it today so I could start on the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

You dragged your massive bag towards the take-off area. Okay, so you may have overpacked just a little, but how were you supposed to know what to take to space? Last time you hadn’t really had time to pack and you hadn’t been planning on visiting any planets. You had to be prepared for all types of climates.

  
“Here let me help you with that!” A big red pincer lifted the bag from your arms. You shot Scorpia a grateful smile. “Thanks sis.” She beamed at the nickname. You had spent years pushing her away, denying that you were siblings, so she always smiled when you called her your sister. You were trying to be a better sibling but you had a lot to make up for in that department.

  
The two of you arrived at the ship. Bow and Entrapta were there, finishing a last safety check of the ship. It wasn’t Darla. This ship was slightly bigger and had a more comfortable living space. Entrapta and her Hordaks had spent the last few weeks modifying one of prime’s ships for this mission. It had been part of Hordak's community service punishment.

Bow waved at you from where he was precariously balancing on the cockpit and then quickly returned his attention to his footing when he started to slip. Scorpia laughed beside you.

Suddenly, a warm weight knocked into your back and you whirled around to receive a facefull of Melog’s tongue. “Hey, sweetheart” You murmured to them softly. Melog had taken a liking to you in the past few weeks and you returned the sentiment. Behind them were Catra and Adora. They looked excited, if a little apprehensive.

Adora was wearing her standard red jacket and her hair was up in her standard ponytail but Catra had decided to try on a new look today. She was wearing an olive green blouse that tucked into simple black leggings. It looked good on her. You don’t think you’ve ever seen her in green before.

  
“Guys!” Entrapta’s voice called you over “Meet Olivia!” She gestured brightly towards the ship.

“So cool.” Scorpia breathed next to you. “You’re regretting not going to space with us?” You teased, jabbing an arm into her side. “Nah, I don’t think scorpions do very well in space. Wait, are there scorpions in space, did you see any when you were there?” “No, we didn’t but I’ll let you know if we find any space scorpions.” You said.

You realized how much you were going to miss her. You wished you had gotten more time to hang out with her before leaving but you vowed to make up for it when you returned.

  
Suddenly a cloud of pink sparkles shimmered in the air next to you and Glimmer materialized, lugging along a bag even more humongous than yours. “Hi Glimmer!” Scorpia greeted enthusiastically “That’s a big bag.” “I know.” She groaned, frustrated. Bow walked over to them “Okay, now that everyone’s here we can put away our stuff and start saying goodbye.” He said “Wow, Glimmer, you sure you’re going to need all that stuff?” He continued, eyeing Glimmer’s bag. She just sighed. Scorpia picked up your bag again and bounded over to the spaceship. “You need a hand with that?” Bow offered Glimmer. “I’ve got it!” She said and teleported away. He looked at you and shrugged, you smiled at him. “Come on, space awaits!” You exclaimed, sweeping your hands towards the sky.

  
Catra and Adora were already inside, being given an enthusiastic tour of the spaceship by Entrapta. “So, who’s taking which room?” You asked when they turned towards you, eager to drop your stuff off. Behind you Scorpia was poking at some buttons on the control panel and Entrapta wandered over. Hopefully to prevent Scorpia from accidentally blowing up the ship.

“Yeah, about that…” Bow said, looking nervous. You raised your eyebrow at him. “There’s only two bedrooms.” Crap, fifth wheeling was not fun on the best of days but sharing a bedroom with a couple was going a bit far. “We can share.” Adora offered. Definitely when you had a crush on both members of said couple. “No, it’s fine. I’ll just sleep out here.” The main area of the ship was filled with plush couches and chairs, you were sure you could find a good spot to sleep in. “Yeah, that’s the problem. You can’t.” Bow explained “The heating switches off everywhere except in the bedrooms at night to conserve energy. It’s going to be freezing in here.” “It’s okay, we don’t mind sharing with you.” Adora assured you. Unfortunately, you very much did mind and you suspected they would start minding too when you interrupted every private moment. But you realized arguing would be fruitless. You couldn’t sleep out here and Adora seemed determined to be a hero and share their room with you.

You wondered if it wasn’t too late to just stay on Etheria. You looked out of the window to the gathered crowd of princesses and members of the rebellion. Yeah, definitely too late. You decided to accept your fate for now and cry about it later.

  
Out on the grass all your friends were waiting for you. You said goodbye to Mermista and Seahawk first. Mermista just scoffed and told you she wouldn’t miss you, still she gave you a tight hug. Seahawk blathered on about adventure and seemed ready to burst into song to say goodbye but Mermista thankfully shut him up.

  
You said goodbye to Spinnerella and Netossa next. They had always been very welcoming to you, taking the time to teach you about the rebellion and supporting you when things got hard. You imagined having a good mother must feel a little like that. They hugged you tightly and made you promise to call them frequently on the tracker pad. Netossa gave you a book “For when space gets boring.”

  
Lastly you headed over to where Scorpia was waiting with Perfuma and Frosta. Scorpia had basically adopted Frosta as her little sister and you had to admit you were taking a liking to the kid. You gave her a big hug and you noticed how she lingered in your embrace a little longer than necessary, even though she claimed not to like you. Perfuma hugged you next and gave you a box full of home baked cookies. You knew you were going to keep those all to yourself. Finally, you turned to Scorpia, whose eyes had already filled with tears. “Dammit Scorpia, you’re going to make me cry to.” You sniffed, feeling your eyes growing wet. She wrapped you up in a big tearful hug. Frosta and Perfuma joined the hug and you resigned yourself to your fate of being squashed to death by three sniffling princesses.

  
After a while you pulled away and walked to the ship, all the while throwing goodbyes over your shoulder and waving. You couldn’t believe the amount of people that were going to miss you. The times when you were lonely and pushed everyone away seemed like a distant nightmare in the face of all this love. Bow, Glimmer, Catra and Adora joined you on the ramp of the spaceship and you looked out over the assembled crowd together.

  
Then you headed inside. Bow took up his position in the pilot’s chair and you strapped yourself into one of the other chairs, next to Glimmer.

  
You craned your head to see the planet receding beneath you. Last time you had been too stressed by the threat of the Horde bots coming after you to really appreciate the beauty of the space journey. Now with all your best friends beside you and Etheria safe and sound, it felt like a breath of fresh air, like the prospect of exciting adventures, like the broadening of your horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So some quick notes about the reader:  
> \- Scorpia is not related to you by blood, your mother married Scorpia's mother when you were about five so Scorpia is your step-sister.  
> \- You don't have pincers like Scorpia, you just look like a normal human.  
> \- While you are technically a princess/prince/royalty you have no powers or a runestone.  
> \- Your mom was the ruler of the sister kingdom to the fright zone.  
> \- Your mother gave her kingdom to the Horde when you were about nine.  
> \- You use magic, more specifically dark magic, which you learnt from your mother.  
> \- So you can basically do what Shadow Weaver does, except you're not as powerful as Shadow Weaver.  
> \- When you were 13 you started spying on the Horde for the rebellion.  
> That's all for now, thanks for reading.


	3. Be Still My Beating Heart

You tried to focus on the words on the page in front of you. The task was complicated somewhat by the weight in your lap.

Adora had apparently decided you were a good place for a nap. Not that you minded but it made reading a little difficult. You were used to Catra or Melog plopping down on your lap, with Adora it was more rare. It wasn’t that she didn’t like physical contact, she hugged you a lot but it was the first time a situation like this had presented itself. 

You carded a hand through her hair, which spread out over your thighs. By now you had begun losing feeling in your legs but there was no way you were going to move her.

Her face was relaxed in a serene expression. It was rare on her, her brow nearly always pinched with worry or creased in thought. You didn't want to disturb that expression.

Slowly her beautiful blue-grey eyes blinked open and focused on you. You offered her a smile, trying to pretend you had been doing anything other than staring at her for the past few minutes.

Her back arched against your legs as she stretched and an elbow almost hit you in the face. “Watch it!” You said and bopped her lightly on the head with your book. She just laughed “You make a good pillow.” You looked out the window you were sitting under, trying not to read too much into that remark. Adora pushed herself off your lap and you found yourself missing the weight as soon as she left. Instead she adjusted her position so her shoulder was pressed firmly against yours. That felt nice too. 

“They’re beautiful aren’t they?” She said, her eyes shining with wonder as she looked up at the stars. You turned your eyes towards space again. They took your breath away every time you saw them. The first few days after the war you had spent hours on your balcony, just staring at the millions of worlds and stars out there. “Yeah,” you breathed “they are.” 

Adora got up and gave you a quick kiss on the top of your head before joining Catra in the small gym area. She waved at you to join them.

“Wait, I need to change first.” You called over to them.

You headed to your room and rummaged through your bag, which was becoming ever messier. The whole room was a bit of a mess honestly. Catra and Adora’s bed was pushed up against the wall on one side and your mattress was on the other side of the room, piled with as many pillows and blankets as you could get your hands on. Your bags spilled out on the floor between them and you had to parkour your way over them to reach your bed. The one desk in the room that you all shared was piled high with papers and books. Catra’s sketches lying next to Adora’s plans and your books. It was a mess. It felt a little like a home.

You slipped into black leggings and after rummaging through your bags for a few minutes to find a top of your own, you grabbed one of Adora’s shirts. She wouldn’t mind, you stole your friend’s clothes all the time. Adora was the same size as you but she was broader, so the top was a bit loose on you.

In the gym area, Catra and Adora were already sparring. Their movements graceful and calculated. The way they circled around each other spoke of years of experience. Sparring was an important part of training in the Horde and even you, the royal, had had to participate, regardless of how much you hated it. 

Adora lunged forward first, her staff aiming to sweep Catra’s feet out from under her. She jumped to avoid the strike and used her momentum to crowd into Adora’s space, stopping her from using her staff. She aimed a strike at her abdomen and Adora grabbed her arm, took a step back and twisted to flip Catra onto the ground. She moved with it and spun around Adora, softly tapping her on the cheek in an unguarded moment. Catra's claws were retracted and you noticed the slight hesitation before she struck. The years of hurting each other, of their fights leaving scars on their bodies was still fresh on her mind. The only reason Catra had the upper hand right now was because Adora was distracted. 

You tried to pay attention to Catra’s movements, hoping to copy them when it was your turn but you quickly found yourself distracted by other thoughts. Your eyes caught on Adora’s confident smirk as she wheeled around to face Catra and the defined lines on Catra’s torso, peeking out from the crop-top she was wearing. 

You walked over to the treadmill, hoping to distract yourself from the feelings fluttering in your chest. Even if that didn’t work you would at least have something to blame your flushed face on. 

When Adora finally had Catra pinned to the ground and your heart was beating a lot faster than it should after a few minutes of light running, they beckoned you over. You stretched with them whilst you chatted about some of the techniques they had used while sparring.

You knew basic hand to hand combat, courtesy of the Horde, but recently you had been learning more complicated maneuvers. Most of the time, Catra taught you. It wasn’t that she was a particularly good teacher, she got frustrated quickly but her fighting style was the most suited towards your build. Like her you were quick and agile. Adora hung around when you were training to explain the more technical combinations and to act as a practice dummy. 

Together, you ran through some simple exercises and practiced a more complex series of kicks you always struggled with. 

Catra explained a move to throw your opponent on the ground, using their own body weight against them.

She stood closely behind you, showing you exactly where to position your feet, a hand on your hip to guide your spin. Her tail lazily flicked against your thigh and you tried to focus on keeping your breathing even. “When you spin, spin on your heel. It’s easier to keep your balance that way.” She explained, her voice close to your ear. You tried it a few times. “Don’t bend over, you’ll pull yourself down.”

Adora snorted from the sidelines. “That’s what she said.” She muttered. “Really? How old are you Adora?” Catra asked. She turned towards you “Okay, try it.” She threw a simple punch towards your torso and you grabbed her hand, brought your elbow towards her back and spun on your heel, just as she had said. The momentum from her punch carried her down but as soon as she hit the ground she rolled over and kicked your feet out from under you.

You fell face first on top of her, your nose millimeters from hers. Her pupils were dilated as she stared right back at you and you felt your heart thundering in your chest. You were intimately aware of Adora looking on from the sidelines. Catra ran her tongue over her lips.

Quickly, you pushed yourself of her and stumbled backwards, running your hand nervously over your ponytail. Catra slowly righted herself and awkwardly cleared her throat. “So, uhm, clearly your balance wasn’t good. You should keep your feet planted when you finish your spin.” You nodded. The air in the room was filled with a tension so thick you could cut it. 

Luckily Adora stepped forward. “Want to spar? You could use the practice.” She offered. “Yeah, sure.” You headed over to the box with training implements and grabbed a pair of escrima sticks. You usually fought with one long dagger and your other hand free for magic, but seeing as you couldn’t use your magic in space, escrima stick were the closest you could get to that. Adora smirked at you, holding her staff out in front of her. 

You knew there was no way you would ever beat Adora in a fair fight. She was stronger, faster and had years more training under her belt. Your usual strategies were out. If you had to fight someone you always fought with magic and used the terrain to your advantage. Here, on an open mat, with no magic, Adora had all the advantages. 

You moved first, darting forward and aiming an escrima stick at her torso. She easily sidestepped and knocked her elbow against your head. The hit wasn’t hard but disoriented you for a few seconds. You quickly regained your bearings and jumped back as Adora swept her staff at your side. Seeing an opening, you darted forward and scored a hit on her thigh. In close quarters, you had a minor advantage with your shorter weapons. You stayed close enough that Adora couldn’t use her staff and aimed another strike at her torso. She caught it and tried to wrench the escrima stick from your hands. You managed to go with the move and keep possession of the stick but the move left you off balance. Adora seized the opportunity and kicked you down with an elegant spinning kick. She pointed her staff at you and you rolled out of the way. You tried to copy Catra’s move and sweep her legs out from under her. It didn’t work but it kept Adora distracted long enough for you to get back up. She swept the staff towards you and you grabbed it with one hand, dropping your escrima stick. You decided to take a risk and dropped the other one too, grabbing onto the staff with both hands. You aimed a kick at Adora and reflexively one of her hands dropped from the staff to block. It was enough for you to wrench it from her grasp. You quickly kicked your escrima sticks of the mat so Adora wouldn’t be able to pick them up. Adora smiled at you, impressed by your moves. You took a moment to bask in the feeling. That was a mistake, you had always known hubris would be your downfall. Adora flew towards you and aimed a kick at your abdomen. You blocked it with your newly acquired staff. She aimed a punch at the side of your head and you ducked to dodge it. She grabbed your arm and brought a knee up into your stomach, stopping just shy of actually hitting you. You curled up instinctively anyway and she shoved you to the ground. As you fell you pulled her down with you and then the two of you lay flat on the mat, panting with exertion. 

Catra appeared above you, a smirk on her face. Her tail waved from side to side lazily. “Well that was certainly interesting to watch.” She purred and held out two hands for you to pull yourselves up. You accepted and walked over to the bench where Catra’s water bottle stood. You chugged down half of it before you stopped to breathe. “Hey! That’s mine.” She whined.

Adora sat down on the bench next to you and pulled down her bedraggled ponytail. You tried not to stare too much at her flushed cheeks and messy hair curling around her face. 

Melog, who had been watching the sparring session alongside Bow and Glimmer, walked over to you and rubbed against your legs. 

You frowned at Glimmer and Bow, you hadn’t noticed them come in, probably too focused on Adora. Bow was watching you with that knowing smile of his and you glared back at him. Warning him to keep his mouth shut. You would deal with him another time. Now you just laughed along with Catra as she teased Adora about nearly losing to you. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is a long chapter. This is my first time writing a fight scene but I actually had a lot of fun with it and I think it turned out pretty good. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments. It makes me really happy to know there are people out there who are enjoying this totally self-indulgent fic.


	4. Sing Me Awake With A Song About Pirates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Panic Attacks, blood, death, skip to '“Okay.” You said, hoping you wouldn’t regret your decision.' if that might be triggering to you.  
> The chapter title is from Not Yet/ Love Run from the amazing devil.

Your mother wheeled on you, but instead of her usual disapproving gaze her eyes were a glowing green. You felt something wet under your feet and looked down to where you were standing in a puddle of blood. 

You stumbled backwards in shock and your foot connected with something solid. 

Turning around you felt your heart plummet as you saw Catra on the ground, the blood spurting from several gashes in her torso. 

You sunk to the floor, crying. 

Your mother’s hands clawed into your back and she hissed into your ear “Oh, my dear, you should have listened to me. I told you you would only hurt the people you love.” 

The hands slammed you to the ground and suddenly Adora was towering over you, eyes blazing a bright blue. 

She dug her sword into your neck and you felt it cut off your airway. 

“Traitor! Lair! Murderer!” She hissed, you tried to move, to plead to her but you couldn’t move. Could only focus on the sword at your throat and how hard it was to breathe.

You awoke with a cry.

Nightmares weren’t unusual. You had all survived a war after all. 

Usually though, it was Catra or Adora who had a nightmare and the other would comfort them. 

You had bad dreams from time to time but rarely woke from them and they usually faded quickly after you woke up. Tonight however, you weren’t so lucky. 

You sat up in bed, your breaths rapid and gasping. 

You felt Melog move from their place at the foot of your mattress. They pushed against you and you threw your arms around them, burying your face in their fur. 

Sobs ripped themselves from your throat and you tried your best to muffle them in Melog’s fur, aware of Catra and Adora sleeping. 

Your hands shook and you dug them deeper into Melog, they curled up closer, a comforting purr running through their body. 

Despite your best efforts to stay quiet you heard movement in the bed. 

You heard Adora curse as she stumbled over a bag and then a concerned “(Y/N)?” as she knelt on the mattress next to you. 

“I’m sorry,” You mumbled turning your head into Melog’s coat to hide your tears. Old habits from the Fright Zone, and before that, apparently died hard.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Adora reassured you. “Can I touch you?” You nodded. 

She took one of your hands in hers and placed it gently on her chest. “Can you try and copy my breathing?” 

You focused on her chest moving underneath your hand, still not comfortable enough to look at her. She took long, exaggerated breaths and you copied her. 

After a while it became easier to breathe and the choking pressure on your throat vanished. You relaxed your death grip on Melog a little and they curled up more comfortably in your lap. You ran your fingers over their soft head. 

Adora shifted closer to you, so that her knees were against yours now. “Better?” She asked you. 

You nodded, not trusting yourself to speak yet. “Nightmare?” You nodded again. Adora didn’t pry further and you were thankful for that. 

You sat together in comfortable silence a little longer. 

“I’m sorry for waking you.” You said once you trusted your voice not to waver. “Hey,” Adora looked at you, eyes serious “I’m always here for you, okay? No matter what.” 

You looked away, not knowing how to answer that. 

Nobody had ever comforted you before when you had a panic attack. In the Horde you always had to hide it, showing emotions made you weak and only gave the others more reason to pick on you.

In Bright Moon you had never felt comfortable enough to ask anyone for help. 

You hated it when people thought you weak but with Adora you didn’t feel like she was judging you. Her eyes were soft and understanding, not pitying as you had feared. 

“I get them too.” She confessed. 

You looked at her questioningly. “Panic attacks, definitely after I left the horde. I was scared to ask for help, because in the Horde they taught us not to show weakness but then Glimmer found me having one and she really helped me. What I want to say is you don’t have to do this alone, we're here for you.” 

You squeezed her hand, grateful she understood. 

“Want to sleep with us tonight?” She asked. You turned to her, eyes wide. 

“In my experience it helps to keep the nightmares at bay.” She explained. 

You thought about it. On the one hand you weren’t totally comfortable with sleeping in the same bed as them, regardless of how many times you had fantasized about that. On the other hand, sleeping alone on your small mattress didn’t appeal to you even with Melog right next to you. 

“Okay.” You said, hoping you wouldn’t regret your decision. 

“Great, come on.” Adora sounded weirdly happy about your decision, whatever, you were too tired to think about it.

She reached out a hand to pull you up and carefully you picked your way over the mess on the floor. melog followed behind you. 

On the bed, Catra stirred and looked up at you. “You okay?” She asked, voice still heavy with sleep. “Yeah, sorry for waking you.” You whispered. 

Adora slipped into bed next to her. You hesitated a little, still unsure of what to do. Adora motioned for you to join them and hesitantly you settled yourself down next to Adora.

For lack of space, Melog shrunk a few sizes and curled up at Catra’s feet. 

Adora threw her hands around you and you rested your head in the crook of her neck. 

Her body curled around you and it felt like a barrier between you and the world. 

Catra’s tail brushed softly against your leg and you felt yourself drift off to sleep. 

Something sharp digging into your stomach woke you. You opened your eyes to find Adora’s face next to yours, her elbow in your stomach and her leg splayed over yours. 

It took a few moments for the events of last night to register. 

On Adora’s other side Catra was still asleep, softly snoring. You realized it must be early. Adora always woke at an ungodly hour, either because of Horde training or because she was just an early bird. 

You suspected it was the latter as you and Catra always stayed in bed till someone dragged you out. 

You wanted to get up but soon realized that would be impossible without waking Adora. 

Well, you had to admit this wasn’t the most uncomfortable position to be in. You had dreamed about waking up next to them frequently. You decided to indulge yourself and just enjoy the moment for a while. 

When the lights in the room were slowly brightening, signaling the start of a new day on the spaceship, someone opened the door.

Glimmer stood in the opening, eyes wide at seeing all of you in the same bed. “Uh…” She stuttered for a minute as Catra glared at her. “Bow says we’re nearly at that planet, so you should get ready. Okay, bye!” She slammed the door shut. 

Catra groaned and let herself fall back into bed. You carefully extricated yourself from under Adora’s legs. She looked vaguely disappointed to see you leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post nightmare cuddling, always fun.  
> Also you may have noticed there is a chapter count now, I wouldn't put too much trust in it though, seeing as it's already changed three times.  
> Also, I might change this into a slash reader fic seeing as it's already written in 2nd person. I originally just wrote this fic for myself and didn't think this many people would actually read it. Now, I think making it a slash reader fic makes more sense so don't be surprised if the tags change.


	5. A Whole New World

You stood next to Bow as the airlock opened with a hiss. Your hands drummed on your thigh and when you noticed it you quickly stilled them. Your instructors in the Horde had always gotten angry when you did that.

In front of you Adora stood tall and splendid in her She Ra form. Your eyes traced over her strong, muscled arms and her stunning figure. She was so beautiful.

Bow nudged you and you realized he had been saying something. “Uh, what?” You asked, still a little distracted by Adora. 

Bow chuckled knowingly. “I asked if you could get my tracker pad, I left it in the cabin.” 

“On it!”

When you returned to the loading bay you stopped, dumbstruck by the sight before you. Hulking spheres scattered the landscape and between them flying boats sailed through the sky. Up above large rings took up a huge part of the sky.

It was only the second planet you had visited during your mission and every time it took your breath away to see how different each planet was from Etheria.

Completely different fauna and flora, completely different people and a different culture. The prospect of learning new things excited you beyond measure. 

A delegation of people from this strange world headed to your ship. They looked stunning and completely foreign to you. Their skin was a rocky grey colour and their eyes were fully black. Some sort of horns twisted around their head in strange shapes.

The one with the biggest and most elaborate horns stepped forward and faced Adora. 

“So you must be the mighty She Ra.” They said, voice strange and rasping. 

Adora nodded. 

“I am Surea Yin’iet, ruler of Alphe and head representative of the Olkon quadrant. I welcome you to Setune.”

Setune was beautiful. 

Yin’iet and their entourage gave you a tour of the closest of those strange spherical buildings you had seen. 

They explained the buildings housed large groups of people, who while not necessarily related by blood, were functionally family. 

They took care of the children together, lived together, cared for each other. Though the populations in those spheres were big, they all knew each other.

Yin’iet showed you a room filled with children, all playing games and having fun together. Adults walked around the room, interacting with the kids. 

It reminded you a little of the Fright Zone, if the Fright Zone had actually cared about the kids and raised them to be healthy adults instead of emotionally fucked up soldiers. 

As you walked through the halls many people stopped to greet their leader. They didn’t kneel or bow to them, just greeted them like an old friend. 

Yin’iet explained as you walked “Each sphere has their own representative. I am the representative of this sphere, Alphe. Usually, all representatives of our quadrant gather here to discuss important matters. I am also the head representative of the quadrant meaning I have the power to make decisions on my own in times of crises. If it is alright with you, queen Glimmer, I would like to gather all head representatives from around Setune to discuss your proposition. It might take a few days.”

Glimmer nodded “We understand. We don’t mind waiting a few days.” 

“Good, I will have my people show you your quarters and show you around the rest of Alphe. I must call on the representatives at once.” 

With that they swept of down the corridors. 

One of the others turned to you and introduced themself as Surea Uv’ets. 

They were a chatty one and talked at length about the way things worked in Alphe. You tried to pay attention but found yourself distracted by the sights around you. 

You entered a grand room at the top of the dome. All around you the walls and roof were made of glass and from here you could see hundreds of spheres spread around the landscape. 

The whole room was filled with otherworldly plants and from the corner of your eye you even spotted several strange flying beasts. Citizens milled around the room, chatting happily.

Next to you Catra wheeled around, equally dumbstruck by the mystical beauty of the whole world. 

Uv’ets looked back at you and seemed amused at your awe. “This is my favourite room. You can see all the way to the Anka quadrant from here. Come, there is still much to see.” 

The next level was the dining room. Cozy seating areas scattered around the room and a strange spicy smell permeated the air. 

After two more levels, mostly filled with different rooms for recreation, you arrived at the guest quarters. 

Uv’ets informed you you had free reign around the sphere and that dinner would be signaled by a siren. 

You entered the room they motioned you into. 

As you dumped your bags on what you assumed to be the bed, there were a lot of plush surfaces in the room, you looked around, vaguely bewildered by the amount of switches and buttons that did Etheria knows what. 

You headed over to one of the walls and turned a knob, hoping it would switch on the light. Instead music filled the room, getting louder the further you turned the knob. You tried pushing one of the arrows next to it and the music abruptly changed to something faster. 

You pressed it a few more times till you found something you liked, then you turned the knob till the music floated softly through the room. 

The next button sent ice cold bursts of air through the room, strong enough to knock you off balance. You hurriedly pressed it again and the bursts stopped. 

Apprehensively, you turned one more dail, praying it wouldn’t set anything on fire. One of the walls started humming and turned see through. 

Though the view from here wasn’t as spectacular as at the top of the sphere, you could still see a large portion of the land. You looked out, peering at the strange beasts that wandered the plains and wondering how the flying ships operated. 

From somewhere in the depths of your bag, your tracker pad started beeping at you. You cursed as you dug through your bag, dumping out a boat load of different items. Why was your tracker pad at the bottom of your bag? You swore you had used it just before you left. 

Finally, you found your tracker pad and quickly pressed the accept call button. 

Netossa and Spinnerella’s faces filled the screen. 

“Hey (Y/N)!” They called enthusiastically.

“Hi!” You smiled, happy to see your friends slash pseudo mother figures.

“Come on tell us, how’s the new planet?” Netossa pestered.

“It’s beautiful and the people here are really friendly. Here let me show you.” 

You turned the screen towards the window, stepping closer so they could get a better view. 

You heard Spinnerella gasp. “It’s stunning.” 

“Wow, are those flying boats, that’s so cool!” Netossa exclaimed “Did you get to ride in one?”

You turned the screen back to yourself. “No, but we’re stuck here for a few days, so maybe I can ask someone.” 

They informed you that everything was going well on Etheria. Scorpia was handling the rebuilding and ruling of the Fright Zone really well. It made you happy to hear that your sister was doing so well.

They also filled you in on all the gossip between the princesses, like how Mermista and Sea Hawk broke up and got back together every two weeks and how Perfuma and Scorpia were spending an awful lot of time together ‘scouting the whispering woods”. 

In turn you told them about space. About the other planets you had visited and how you filled up the long days with nothing to do on the spaceship.

“I’ve been cooking a lot, it’s actually really fun.” You informed them. 

“Great, then you can cook for us next time and I don’t have to eat Spinny’s ridiculous vegetable platters.” Netossa cheered.

“You’re really hung up on those vegetable platters, dear. I make other things too.” Spinnerella sighed.

You chuckled “Well, I mostly cook with dehydrated space food, so I’m not sure my food is going to be that much better.” 

You chatted on for a few more minutes and then they signed off in a hurry, saying something about Swift Wind causing a ruckus outside. 

You guessed he was freeing more horses from their stables or something.

Someone knocked on your door. “Come on in!” You called. 

You heard muffled cursing as the person on the other side took a few seconds to figure out how the door operated. 

When it finally slid open, it revealed Catra, scowling at the door’s control panel. She smiled at you. 

“What’s up with all these buttons?” She grouched, “It's like they’re trying to make life complicated.” 

“I know,” You chuckled, “one button turns your room into a tundra for some reason.” 

“Yeah, I have experience with that one. I had to stop Adora from pushing all the buttons before she set our room on fire.” 

You smiled at her.

“Me and Adora were going to have a look around, want to join us?” She offered.

You accepted, grateful to be away from all the terrifying buttons that could probably kill you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as you may have noticed, I changed some of the tags and the summary. Other than that nothing in the story has changed. Hope you enjoy!


	6. Under A Silver Moon

You held up one of the strange jumpsuits to your chest. 

“What do you think?” You asked Adora.

She frowned “I don’t think green is really your colour. It kinda clashes with your stripes.”

“They’re not stripes, they’re physical markings of my magic!” 

“Whatever, shadow girl, I didn’t invite you to go clothes shopping.” Catra drawled from where she was sprawled out on one of the stuffed windowsills. 

“We’re learning more about Setune’s culture and customs, plus, you guys really need to get some new clothes. Definitely you Adora.” You said, leveling a look at her standard red jacket.

“There’s nothing wrong with my clothes!” She protested indignantly.

“It’s a Horde uniform, Adora.” Glimmer, who had just reappeared from one of the changing cabins with a mountainload of discarded items, sighed.

“I agree with Glimmer, you really should get some new clothes. You’ve been wearing that same outfit for years.” Catra said.

“If Catra is agreeing with Glimmer then this is clearly a decided matter, you can’t argue with both of them.” Bow said.

Adora seemed to realize she had been well and truly beaten.

“Fine, I’ll get new clothes once we’re back on Etheria. I’m not wearing alien jumpsuits.” She sighed.

“I think they're nice.” Glimmer said, holding up a purple jumpsuit, “I think I might buy this one.”

“You don't have any money, Glimmer.” You pointed out.

“Oh, yeah. Crap.” She looked disappointed.

“Come on, sparkles.I’m pretty sure the food here is free.” Catra said, hopping up from the windowsill.

“You guys go ahead,” You called “I have to put these back.” You gestured at the pile of clothes you had collected.

“Yeah, me too.” Glimmer said.

The rest filed out of the changing room, heading to the dining room.

“So,” Glimmer said, drawing out the word. You looked at her from where you were folding up clothes.

“You guys looked pretty cosy yesterday morning.”

You thought back to when Glimmer had barged into your room, your cheeks turning red.

“Shut up, Glimmer.” You muttered.

“Come on, I’m your best friend, you have to tell me stuff like this.” 

You sighed.

“I like Adora,” You admitted “and Catra. And it sucks because I know they don’t like me like that.” 

“You guys sleeping in the same bed kinda sends a different message. And Catra’s always flirting with you.”

“I had a nightmare, it didn’t mean anything. Also, its Catra, she’s like that with everyone. She flirts with you too.”

“Maybe, but she acts different when she’s around you. Plus, you and her and Adora are really close. Maybe they do like you like that.” 

You raised your eyebrow at her. 

“Really? They’re childhood best friends, Glimmer. They had this intense rivalry brimming with sexual tension that culminated in a dramatic love confession that literally saved the world. When they’re in a room together they can’t take their eyes of each other. How can I compete with that?” 

You may have sounded a little melodramatic, but you feel like you had the right to gripe. Pining was not fun. 

“That’s not true, just now Adora was staring at you the whole time while Catra was right across the room. And just because they have a history and a beautiful relationship doesn’t mean you can’t be with them too. It’s not a competition and they clearly like you.” 

“As friends.” You groaned. 

“You don’t know that.” 

“Yeah, well if I made a move and they didn’t like me, what would happen then? I’d just ruin our friendship and I don’t want that to happen.”

“You’re being melodramatic. You’re probably the only person who doesn’t notice the way they look at you.”

She bumped her shoulder into yours.

“Just drop it, Glimmer. Please.” You pleaded, not in the mood to have this conversation.

Your day was going perfectly well and you didn’t want to ruin it by thinking about your stupid feelings.

“Okay, okay.” She conceded “Just think about what I said. And you know I’m always here if you want to talk.” 

You nodded “Come on, I want to try out the alien food.”

“Let’s hope it’s better than the last planet’s food.” 

You groaned at the memory. The food had made you miss Horde ration bars, which you had never thought possible.

Bow waved at you from where they were sitting in one of the plush, overstuffed corner booths. 

Glimmer sat down next to him and you stared at the bench on the other side, where Catra had sprawled herself lengthwise, her head cushioned on Adora’s lap.

You nudged her “Scoot. I need to sit.” 

She lifted her legs up in the air and plopped them back down on your lap when you sat down.

You raised an eyebrow at her. “Really?”

“Adora said you make a good pillow.” She teased with a sly grin.

Next to you, Adora flushed.

“So, what do you guys want to eat!” Bow interrupted, a little louder than strictly necessary.

You picked out some sort of lilac coloured pastry, or you assumed it was a pastry, it wasn’t very clear.

It tasted sweet yet spicy at the same time and vaguely flowery. You hummed appreciatively.

Catra, who was at least sitting upright now, leaned over and stole a bite.

“Wow, that’s good.”

“I know right? Can I try yours?”

She slid it over to you. This one was way spicier than your dish. You winced at the sudden heat in your mouth.

Bow noticed your expression and quickly slid over a glass of water. Catra just laughed at you.

The five of you hung out for a while longer, sharing your food and laughing together.

Surea Uv’ets, the Setunian who had shown you around the sphere on the first day appeared at your table.

“Yin’iet and the other representatives have gathered, they request your presence.” They informed you.

The five of you filed out of the booth and followed Uv’ets to the meeting room. 

You noticed Catra quickly shoving the rest of your pastry down before she hurried after you.

The meeting room was as opulent as the rest of the sphere but you barely noticed it, too preoccupied with the dozens of alien eyes on you.

You shifted on your feet nervously. You had never enjoyed being the centre of attention, even though your mother had trained you for it.

They seemed in particular to be staring at you, you wondered why.

You were one of the least noteworthy members of the group, just a royal of a small kingdom that had been handed over to the Horde.

Maybe they were staring at your markings. 

On Etheria they had always garnered a lot of attention. Telltale signs of dark magic, just one more thing people judged you on.

It had made it extremely hard to convince the rebellion to trust you and let you work for them.

One of the representatives stood up. 

“Please sit. 

We have discussed your proposal and we think it would be beneficial to this planet to reclaim it’s magic. Before we proceed with that we would like to ask you a few questions concerning the workings of magic and how you handle it on your planet.”

You sat down and a long conversation about magic ensued.

You and Glimmer usually answered, being the most knowledgeable about magic, with Adora fielding the occasional question about She Ra.

Then Yin’iet turned to you specifically.

“Those markings, you said you have them because of your magic. Why do none of your companions have these markings? Will we get them too?”

“I use a very specific type of magic. On Etheria we call it dark magic, which in my opinion is a bit dramatic and gives it a bit of a bad rep…” 

Glimmer glared at you.

“But that’s not the point.” You continued hastily 

“Dark magic is harder to control. Instead of flowing through you like normal magic it sort of sticks to you? I don’t really know how to explain it. The point is that it’s very hard to control and can hurt or corrupt you if you’re not careful with it. I had two teachers who were proficient with dark magic and taught me a lot about it so I have no trouble controlling it and warding of its corrupting influence.”

Glimmer piped in.

“In Mystacor we generally discourage the use of dark magic for these reasons. A lot of sorcerers who practice it use it to gain power and endanger others in the process. We even have a theory that it can addle the mind and encourage the sorcerer to do bad things. Almost all sorcerers who use dark magic are bad people.”

“That doesn’t mean dark magic is inherently bad, Glimmer.” You sighed. 

You had fought about this before. You felt she still judged you for the magic you used, even though you used it for good and had helped defeat the Horde with it.

Adora must have noticed the tension between the two of you and quickly diffused the situation.

“The way I see it, dark magic is a tool the way all other types of magic are. Except it’s a lot more dangerous, it needs to be wielded with caution. I think you must decide for yourself whether you will allow dark magic to be taught or whether you will outlaw it.”

A few long hours later you finally left the room, heading to an open space outdoors where Adora could unshackle the planet’s magic.

You felt exhausted, your brain picked clean of all you knew about magic. 

All those lessons with your Mother and Shadow Weaver that you had thought long forgotten dragged back up to the surface. Reliving those experiences was never fun and your nerves felt frayed. 

Catra must have noticed how you felt because she fell into step beside you and asked softly “You okay?”

You nodded. “Yeah, just tired from trying to remember all those lessons. I really should have payed more attention.”

Catra snorted.

You looked up to see the rest of the group had stopped.

Adora walked forward a little and turned to face you. Noticing her nerves, you flashed her a thumbs up. She smiled at you and then focused on the sword in her hands.

“For the honour of Grayskull!” She called and light flooded the clearing.

Next to you the Setunians gasped in wonder as She Ra stood before them in her full glory.

She drove the sword downwards, into the earth and all around you glowing pathways raced across the ground.

Wherever they passed, strange flowers burst into bloom and trees grew from nothing.

You felt the emptiness inside you fill with a bright, joyful feeling. The feeling of magic returning.

The Setunians gasped as they felt it fill them too. A world exploding in the most beautiful way.

It felt like a burst of birdsong after a harsh winter, like jumping off a cliff and landing in warm water.

When the ecstasy of the moment faded and the world started settling into its new being, the magic inside you changed form.

From the burning strangeness it slowly cooled and curled up around your limbs. It felt so old and familiar, you had grown up with this feeling and missed it every time it left. 

It was like standing under a silver moon and a violet sky, a cold breeze rustling around you and feeling the peace that only came with darkness.

You let shadows slip between your fingers, reveling in your ability to control them again, though you knew you would have to leave soon.

After that a party was held, to celebrate She Ra and the magic.

When you stumbled back to the ship, hand in hand with Adora and Catra, drunk of some strange alien wine, you didn’t even question Catra pulling you into their bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the markings referenced here are based on the markings Micah had in the heart part 1 and 2, when he was being possessed by Prime. I drew some concept art of what the reader looks like and when I feel less tired I'll find a way to link it here so you'll understand what I'm referring to.  
> Also, I invented my own explanation of how dark magic and magic in general works, so it's probably not very accurate but whatever, it's my AU.  
> Thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments, you guys are really inspiring me to keep writing.  
> 


	7. I Will Be Your Sword And Shield

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: descriptions of injury, violence, animal death? IDK they're aliens.  
> Chapter title is from 'meet me on the battlefield' by SVRCINA.

They came out of nowhere.

You had been wandering around the planet for hours now, searching for signs of life and were just about to write it off as a complete loss when a bloodchilling screech echoed through the air.

Adora, who was closest to you, stepped in front of you, clearly intent on protecting you.

The planet’s magic was still shackled so you were virtually useless in a fight.

You stared into the gloom in front of you, trying to see where the screech had come from, when you heard Bow cry out.

A weight knocked into your side and you stumbled against Adora, pushing her towards the cliff edge you had been scouting along.

You whirled around, catching a glimpse of sharp claws as the creature reared to strike again.

You fumbled with your dagger, trying in vain to block its strike. 

Next to you, you noticed Adora pull her sword out of thin air but the creature pounced before either of you had the opportunity to do anything.

It hit you square in the shoulders and you felt its claws pierce skin. As you stumbled backwards your weight carried you over the side of the cliff and you felt gravity take hold of your body.

Adora grabbed your hand but that was the wrong move to make. Holding onto you unbalanced her and the creature saw its opportunity and swiped a claw at her.

She pitched forward after you and tumbled down the cliff. Together the two of you fell into the darkness. 

You felt her arms wrap around you before pain exploded behind your eyelids and the world turned black.

You woke to the metallic taste of blood in your mouth. 

Your head pulsed with blinding flashes of pain and it took a few moments before you could think clearly again.

You blinked open your eyes but all you seemed to see were specks of light clouding your vision.

You focused your other senses on your surroundings and realized you were lying on something soft, something organic. 

Panicked, you tried to right yourself but as soon as you tried to put any weight on your right arm, pain lanced through it and you collapsed again.

Nausea roiled through you at the movement and you swallowed back bile, trying to focus through the pain and the fog in your head.

You moved again, mindful of your arm this time and succeeded in rolling off whatever you were cushioned on, then immediately turned your head to the side as you threw up.

Once you were done you slowly dragged yourself up to a sitting position and noticed your vision had cleared a little.

You looked over to where you had fallen and recognised a familiar red coat.

You scooted over to her, your head still spinning too much to even think about standing up.

“Adora?” You called out, aware of how small and panicked it sounded. Your mother would be disappointed.

She didn’t respond. You noticed blood bubbling up in her mouth and her breaths were laboured.

_ Shit,  _ punctured lung, that wasn’t good.

You placed a hand on her neck and rolled her over onto her side, trying not to jostle her spine too much. You had no idea how much damage it had taken during the fall.

Her breathing eased up a little and when you checked her pulse it was steady if a little fast.

You sighed, you needed to get her to the ship as fast as possible but for now her condition was stable.

You glanced up to where you assumed you had fallen from, it was all a bit fuzzy. There was nothing to see there, just the slope looming over you.

Now that you were looking for it, you heard the sounds of a fight going on above you. You assumed your friends were fighting off whatever it was that had attacked you. You hope they had it handled.

In the gloom surrounding you something moved. Your eyes flashed towards it and you waited with bated breath. Moments passed before something moved again, on your other side this time.

Your breathing picked up and you could feel the familiar panic curl up in your stomach. Whatever was hiding in the shadows was either big or multiple. Either way, you were defenseless.

No magic, no skills, not even a weapon anymore. You had dropped your dagger somewhere during your tumble. 

Your body told you to move, to run and hide in one of the overhangs that littered the cavern but you couldn’t. You would never leave Adora behind.

More movements surrounded you, whatever it was, it was getting closer. Oh, how you wished you could access your magic right now.

The thought lodged in your head. Maybe you couldn’t access this planet’s magic but She Ra’s magic was always present, even in space.

You hoped your theories about how the sword and the magic worked were correct. Otherwise this would be either a very anticlimactic ending or the magic would tear you apart. Neither of those outcomes were particularly appealing but you had to do something. You couldn’t just sit here and wait for whatever creatures lurked in the shadows to come tear you and Adora apart.

You turned towards her, closing off all thoughts about the outside world, focusing solely on the aura of magic that surrounded Adora at all times.

You reached out towards it and it recoiled from you. Recoiled from your dark and tainted nature, your magic that was so twisted and wrong and so different from the pure shining light She Ra was made of.

You huffed a sigh, this wasn’t working. You didn’t want to do this, knowing the dangers it entailed but you were slowly running out of options. If the magic would not accept you, would not come willingly, you would just have to force it.

You reached out with all the dark parts in you, all the parts that hungered for power, that relished in the feel of magic coursing through your veins. You seized the magic with twisted, tainted hands and it writhed in your grip, burning the places it filled.

It felt so wrong, so unlike the calm coldness of dark magic, this was all burning light and raging power. 

Where it filled your body your muscles and bones bent and twisted, took on a shape so unfamiliar to you. It felt like being taken apart and being glued back together with fire.

Memories of the past She Ra’s flashed through your head, overlapping and screaming for attention.

You felt like the heart of a star, burning, collapsing in on itself. You couldn’t contain this power, it would destroy you, you weren’t worthy of She Ra, even for a moment. 

You collapsed onto your hands and knees, your broken wrist forgotten amidst the agony that twisted through your bones.

Through the millions of memories and emotions and words screaming through your head one came to the forefront.

A hand reached towards you, in your memory you took it. In the real world, you felt your breathing calm and a focus wash over you, the focus that possessed you whenever you were casting a particularly complicated spell.

You thought of Adora behind you, helpless and weak, words you had never associated with her and stood up. For her, you could bear the burning magic tearing you apart.

Through an immense effort of will you managed to clear your head and focus on your surroundings. The whole cavern was cast in a golden light that emanated from you and the creatures that had been hiding in the shadows were now revealed.

Six of them prowled uncertainly in a circle around you, unsure what to do when faced with a giant, glowing warrior lady.

You adjusted your grip on the sword that had somehow appeared in your hands. Even though you had never handled a sword in your entire life, besides the few times you had tossed Adora her sword when she lost it on the battlefield, it felt familiar in your hands and your movements were practiced and fluid.

The creatures stalking in the shadows moved towards you, snarling and yapping at you. 

You slashed the sword in an arc around you and a wave of energy knocked them back. 

Two beasts leapt at you and you easily knocked them back with your sword. 

Even though the magic still burned and your head felt like it was splitting in two, it was easier to manage now that you had something to focus on.

They circled around you, regrouping and then all six of them leapt at you all at once. 

You blasted them back with a wave of magic but while you had been distracted a previously unseen alien had gotten close to Adora. 

You turned around and sunk your sword into its skull.

One managed to sink its teeth into your calf and you stifled a cry. You stabbed it and then slashed open another creature that had taken advantage of your distraction to get closer.

Only four more faced you and they were shifting on their haunches uncertainly.

You leapt forward and took down two with one strike. The others decided it wasn’t worth it and turned tail and fled.

You staggered back to Adora and sunk down on your knees, shivering despite the heat spilling from you. 

You heard a noise to your right and wearily turned your head, tired but ready to fight to protect her. Instead a steadying hand placed itself on your shoulder and a pair of worried blue and yellow eyes swam into focus.

“It’s alright, they’re gone, you’re safe now.” She reassured you. You breathed a sigh of relief and slumped forward into her grip.

“Adora” You rasped out. 

“Can you heal her?” Catra asked.

Through an immense effort of will you managed to nod your head. You knew healing her would take every last drop of focus and strength you had left but for Adora you would do it.

Catra helped you shift closer to her and you took Adora’s hand in your own. Her breathing had gotten even shallower and her face was pale.

You took the burning energy and gently let it flow through your arm into her body, simultaneously healing her and giving her the magic back.

Where the magic flowed out of you you felt your bones snap back into their rightful places, a short burst of agony that was quickly followed by a deep ache.

Adora’s breathing eased up and her eyes fluttered open.

“Hi.” She croaked out weakly.

“Hey Adora.” Catra said softly.

“What happened?” Adora questioned as Bow helped her to sit up.

“We fell off a cliff.” You said and then winced, your throat felt like you had been gargling glass shards.

“Oh, you’d think I’d have gotten used to that by now.” She said looking at you worriedly.

Catra huffed a laugh. 

“Are you okay?” Adora asked you.

“I’m fine, you’re the one who had a punctured lung.” You sighed, rolling your eyes at her being worried over you when this whole time you had been so worried about her.

Adora grimaced, probably remembering the unpleasant sensation of not being able to breathe.

Tired, you sunk into Catra and she wrapped an arm around your shoulder. You noticed you were still holding Adora’s hand and Catra had grabbed her other one. 

The three of you sat in companionable silence, just taking a moment to bask in the relief of the knowledge that all of you were okay.

The tender moment was interrupted by Bow, who sounded slightly nervous. “Guys, as sweet as this is, we probably shouldn’t stick around here for longer than necessary.” 

Catra nodded. “You think you can stand?” She asked you and Adora.

You struggled to your feet and immediately staggered and nearly fell down again. Bow was by your side in an instant and steadied you.

Catra and Glimmer helped Adora up and the five of you slowly made your way back to the ship, luckily without any run ins with alien beasts.

Back on the ship, the five of you collapsed on one of the benches and stayed there for a while, catching your breath and processing all that had happened.

After a while, Bow headed to the kitchen to get you all something to eat and drink and Adora turned to you. “So, what exactly happened? My memory is a bit fuzzy.” 

“Yeah,” Glimmer piped in “how did you turn into She Ra?”

“You turned into She Ra?” Adora exclaimed surprised.

You explained what had happened down in the cavern to them. When you finished there was a short silence and you noticed Adora staring at you with an awed smile on her lips.

Catra jabbed an elbow into Adora’s ribs, gently as they were still tender even after healing. “She’s coming for your job, Adora.” She chuckled.

You groaned “Don’t worry, I don’t think I’m ever doing that again. I feel horrible.” 

Your whole body felt strangely fuzzy and a bone deep ache sapped all your strength and made you long to just lie in bed for three weeks.

“Thank you.” Adora said, her eyes boring into yours, almost uncomfortably sincere. The words carried a certain weight to them, like they meant more than just, thanks for not leaving me to get eaten by aliens.

You shifted awkwardly, not very good at dealing with such profound emotions. “Well, I couldn’t let you have all the chances at playing the hero.”

Bow returned with hot chocolate and despite your weariness, you propped yourself up and accepted a mug. Around you, the rest murmured softly and even though you were too tired to join the conversation or even comprehend what was being said, you felt comforted to just be surrounded by your friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, this chapter just wasn't coming along for some reason.  
> Thank you to everyone who commented on this fic. I'm pretty shy about replying to comments but know I read and cherish each one. You guys motivate me to keep writing.


	8. Hold Me When It's Cold Outside

You rolled over in your bed, sleep still evading you after hours of staring at the ceiling. The things that had happened on the last planet you had visited finally sinking in. 

Every time you closed your eyes, you saw Adora, on the ground, limp and pale. It scared you how close you had come to losing her. 

You had all had close brushes with death but Adora more than most. You thought that after the war, you wouldn’t have to face things like that anymore. Wouldn’t have to worry about losing your new found family. But it seemed like Adora just couldn’t resist throwing herself into danger.

In the bed on the other side of the room you heard movement, then Catra gasping. 

She got up from the bed and walked over to the door. As it slid open a rush of cold air filled the room and you remembered Bow telling you how cold the ship got at night. You gathered up some blankets and followed her out, hoping she wouldn’t be too mad at you following her.

Bow was right, the ship was positively freezing at night. You wrapped a blanket around your shoulders.

On the bridge, Catra sat on one of the benches underneath the large windows, silhouetted by the light of the thousands of stars.

You walked closer and she turned around, her eyes softening when she saw she who it was.

“Hey.” She greeted, her voice still husky with sleep.

You sat down on the bench next to her, grateful to get off the freezing ground and draped the blanket over both of you.

She curled into you gratefully. 

“Bow was right, it gets really cold in here.” She murmured.

“Yeah,” you chuckled “I’m happy you guys let me sleep in your room. I just hope I’m not too much of a burden.” 

Catra chuckled at that. “You’re not, believe me. We like having you around.”

That sentence made something twinge painfully in your heart and you smiled faintly, turning your eyes towards the stars to hide your feelings. It was hard not to read too much into things like that. To reach out to the tentative hope that maybe they reciprocated your feelings, but you couldn’t. You would not ruin your friendship with them, wouldn’t get between them. They were happy and you had no place in that happiness, you would just have to accept that.

Catra bumped her shoulder into yours. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, what, why?” You stammered, startled from your thoughts.

“I asked you a question.” 

“Oh, sorry, I was thinking.”

She huffed. “I was just asking why you’re up so late. Did I wake you?” 

“Nah, just couldn’t sleep, I slept for two whole days so I think I’m not really tired. Why are you up?” 

“Nightmares.” She sighed.

You curled up against Catra’s back.

“You want to talk about it, the nightmares I mean?” 

Catra stared up the ceiling, her eyes distant. 

“They’re about Horde Prime, mostly. About when he… You know…” 

She took a deep breath. 

“They dumped me into that stupid green pool and it hurt. It hurt so much. And suddenly, He was there and I was gone. It’s like, I spent my whole life fighting to become my own person, to be in control and he erased all of that in seconds. Everything I ever felt, everything I ever fought for, everything I was, just gone. 

And it was so loud in there, I could hear all those clones and their stupid chanting and his voice was the loudest of all. 

But you know what the worst thing was? In a way I wanted it to happen. I wanted it all to end, all the guilt and the pain and the maybes and the could have beens. I was weak, I let him in because I couldn’t deal with the weight of my own mistakes. And because of that I hurt Adora, again.” 

Tears streaked down her face and sobs wracked through her body. 

You thought of your mother bearing down on you, disappointment twisting her features. You thought about the wounded look on Scorpia’s face when you shouted at her to leave. You thought of the empty eyes of the rebellion soldier you killed to maintain your cover. You thought of facing Catra on the battlefield, hate in her eyes. You thought about how easy it would be to let go of that pain, if given the chance. 

How tempting it sounded. 

“I don’t think you’re weak.” You turned to face her, gathering her hands in yours. “Not a day goes by when I don’t wish I could erase the hurt. You’ve done so many brave things, you sacrificed yourself to save Glimmer and you broke free of Prime’s control for Adora. You accepted your past mistakes and tried to fix them. Wanting peace, wanting it to end, it doesn’t make you weak or cowardly. You’re one of the bravest people I’ve ever met because you owned up for your mistakes, because you fought back against Horde Prime. In the end, you redeemed yourself and ultimately, you saved us all.”

She looked up at you, then groaned. 

“That was so cheesy. I can’t believe you managed to stay undercover in the horde that long when you spout shit like that.” 

You laughed and turned towards the window again, your back pressing against Catra’s. Catra’s body was a comforting heat against yours and after a while you started to get drowsy. 

“Do you ever think about what we could have been? Like, back in the Horde, when we were, you know...” She asked, the drowsiness you felt mirrored in her voice. 

You thought about it. 

What you could have been if it hadn’t all gone to shit so much faster than you could have ever seen coming. If the portal hadn’t torn up everything between you and Catra. If Shadow Weaver hadn’t left. So many if’s. Catra had always been your could-have-been. 

“I dunno, I think if we had had more time together we could have had something more, something deeper but how long would that have lasted? We were on opposite sides, one day my betrayal would have come to light and what would you have done then?” 

“Defected with you?” She joked. 

“You didn’t leave for Adora, you never would have left for me.” You said, not angry or hurt by that knowledge.

“Yeah, probably. Would you have joined the Horde for me?” 

You thought about it. Thought back to the portal reality, a perfect world that had been so different from what you had imagined it would look like.

Scorpia smiling at you, babbling on about some cute girl. Being a part of your team, feeling like you belonged. And Catra and Adora, so close to each other but with a special place in their hearts for you. Spending nights hidden behind storage containers, giggling about all kinds of things and talking about the future.

You had always thought the rebellion was where you belonged, that the Horde could never be a home to you. The portal had proven you wrong.

“I think I would have.”

The conversation lapsed into comfortable silence.

“You ever think about what would have happened if we had stayed in the Crimson Waste? If we had just left the war behind us?” You asked.

“Sometimes. I think we would have fit in there.” She sighed

“Yeah, we could have gotten a house there and you would have fun leading your gang and I could take up cooking or something.”

“In the Crimson Waste? What were you going to cook with? Lizards?” 

You laughed. 

“I kinda wish I had stayed. Everything was so much less complicated back then. It would have been nice to just stay there with you and Scorpia, build a home.” She sighed.

“Yeah, it would have been. But it probably wouldn’t have lasted either. We would have found some way to fuck it up.” You said.

“Probably.” She chuckled and the conversation lapsed into silence once more.

This felt strange. You had never been so open with her, so honest. It felt like laying bare all the things you had been keeping hidden all those years. Finally talking about what your relationship in the Horde had meant to you instead of brushing it off. 

“You were one of my only friends, you know. In the Horde I pushed everyone away. I told myself it was because I didn’t want to hurt them but really I was just protecting my own skin. And nobody in the rebellion really liked me all that much, they didn’t really trust me. What with me being the heir of Selwyn and from the Horde. You were the only person I let in.” You confessed.

“I wasn’t a very good friend” She whispered. 

She was right, she hadn’t been but neither had you. You guessed that even if you had stayed, you would have just torn each other apart in a different way. Your relationship never would have worked out. The Crimson Waste was just a fever dream. 

Catra flipped to face you. Her forehead pressed to yours, your breath mingling. 

She looked up at you, her stunning eyes open and vulnerable. 

“I’m happy you’re my friend again, even after everything that happened. I missed you when you left.” 

You thought about how easy it would be to bridge the gap between your lips and hers. She was so tantalizingly close. But you thought of how much was at stake. 

Your friendship with Catra, with Adora. Their relationship. This whole fragile balance that you had built between you. You would never forgive yourself if you ruined this.

You shot up abruptly. You stammered out something about needing to pee and then quickly fled the room, not noticing Catra’s disappointed gaze on your back. 

You entered your room and locked yourself in the bathroom.

You made no pretenses. You knew the whole thing you had going now wouldn’t last. In the weeks before you had left for space you had barely seen Adora and Catra. You had no doubts it would be like that again when you returned. 

The small ship forced you to be close to them but as soon as you returned to Bright Moon they would return to their happy life and you would have to find a way to cope with that.

Tears leaked from your eyes and you groaned frustratedly. Why couldn’t you just be happy? You had everything you wanted, friends who appreciated you, an esteemed place in the rebellion, your kingdom. Once you had thought that was all you could need but now you had to be selfish and hunger after someone else’s happiness.

A knock on the door startled you. 

“Hey, you okay?” Adora’s voice filtered through the door.

You stood up and wiped away your tears, trying to look composed and then opened the door. 

Adora stood before you, worried blue eyes boring into yours.

“Did something happen?” She asked.

“No, no, nothing happened. I just needed some space. I’m fine.” You rambled.

She didn’t look convinced. If anything, the crease between her brows deepened.

“Okay, if you say so. Do you want to sleep with us tonight?”

“No, that’s alright. I’ll sleep in my own bed.” You said, sounding a lot colder than you intended.

She looked disappointed but nodded, giving you space.

That night as you lay staring up at the ceiling, the emptiness in your chest felt so much more achingly cold and you wished that you had accepted her offer. Wished that you had someone to hold you and chase out the cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew some concept art of what the reader might look like. Of course, you can imagine them however you want, it's just so that you know what I'm referring to when I talk about their 'markings'.  
> You can find it here: https://lisa625463.tumblr.com/post/620738517788737536/a-drawing-of-what-the-reader-might-look-like-in-my  
> Thank you to everyone who left kudos or comments on this fic, I love you guys so much.


	9. Home Is In Your Arms

You lay on the ground, staring up at the purplish clouds as grass tickled your ears. The pleasant hum and hubbub of the festival filled your ears and you could pick out the exotic fragrances of the food vendors. Beside you Adora was softly snoring on the grass, looking completely relaxed.  
Catra sat down next to her, arms filled with some alien food. “Is she really sleeping?” She whispered.   
You nodded.  
She nudged Adora with her foot. “Hey idiot, wake up. I have food.”  
Adora shot awake with a snort. “What? What’s going on?” She flailed around and Catra ducked to avoid being smacked in the face.  
“Calm down, stupid, it’s just us.” She sighed fondly.  
Adora blinked and looked around, her eyes lit up when she saw the food Catra had gotten.  
“Awww, yes! Food!” She grabbed one of the plates and immediately dug in.  
You sat up and took the one Catra was holding out to you.   
“I think this one’s vegetarian. I don’t really know what’s in them but I think the vendor understood when I explained it to him.”  
“Thanks.” You said. You probably shouldn’t be feeling so warm and fluttery over Catra remembering you preferred vegetarian food but you couldn’t hold back a smile.  
You bit into it, pleasantly surprised by the strange dish. “Mmm, this must be some of the best alien food we’ve had.” You groaned.  
Adora wholeheartedly agreed with you, Catra just looked pensive.  
“What’s wrong?” Adora asked her “You don’t like the food?”   
“No, it’s fine. I heard there was going to be a big dancing event later. Do you guys wanna go?”  
“Yeah, sure!” Adora said enthusiastically.  
You weren’t so excited by the prospect. Sure, you would love to go dancing with Catra and Adora but you didn’t want to get in the way too much. Bow and Glimmer had taken advantage of their free time to go on a date and you had the feeling Adora and Catra would prefer to do that instead of hanging out with you.  
“No, I actually wanted to go check out those temples. You guys go! Have some fun.”  
“Oh, come on.” Adora pouted. “We’ll just dance for a little while and then we can check out the temples. That way everyone’s happy.”  
“Really, guys. I don’t mind.” You stammered out.  
“I think it’s a great idea.” Catra interrupted.  
Realizing you wouldn’t win this fight, you shut up. You would just give them some space during the dance, maybe find another partner to dance with.

When the afternoon light mellowed out a little and a soft, fragrant breeze danced through the trees, people gathered on a big clearing and musicians started strumming their instruments.   
Catra grabbed your and Adora’s hand and led you into the circle.   
Someone grabbed your free hand and you were pulled into a complicated dance that involved a lot of weaving through the arms of the people next to you.  
You stumbled along, never having been the best dancer, despite your mother trying her best to teach you court dances. Catra’s grip was firm in your hand and she seemed to be following along remarkably well. She and the person next to you led you along and with their help you managed to follow along fairly well.  
You glanced at Adora and saw her brow was creased in intense concentration, the same look she got when she was on the battlefield.  
The line of people broke up and people started finding their partners. Catra grabbed both your hands and spun you around before moving to another partner. Adora grabbed your arms and the two of you circled around each other, hands on each other's waists.  
“Hey,” You squeezed her waist “lighten up, you look like you want to stab someone.”  
She looked up at you at you and your breath caught in your throat. The golden sunlight played in her hair and gave her an ethereal glow, her blue eyes sparkled despite her fierce look of concentration and as her lips twitched up in a perfect smile your heart stopped beating for a moment.  
“Sorry, dancing isn’t easy.” She said as she took a step closer to you, her hips brushing against yours. Her hands circled against your hips more securely and she took a step forward. Gravity pulled you downward and you found yourself being held up by Adora, your hands encircled around her neck and her face inches from yours.  
“That’s like, the one move I know.” She joked, obviously trying for a lighthearted tone but it came out a little strangled.  
After a moment, she pulled you to your feet and you tried your best to move along with the music once more, your heart still racing and your brain completely short circuited.  
A familiar voice called out to you and you saw Catra next to you.  
“My turn!” She called out and you stepped aside so she could dance with Adora but instead she turned towards you and grabbed your hips. You shot a glance towards Adora, who had partnered up with a tall lady and she shot you a beaming smile.  
Catra led the dance and you stumbled along behind her. The dance floor had grown more crowded and the mass of people pushed you close to Catra to avoid stepping on anyone’s toes. Eventually she seemed to grow tired of the awkward distance you were trying to maintain and pulled you flush against her chest.  
“This okay?” She asked, voice rasping in your ear.  
You nodded against her shoulder. Her fingers curled into your shoulder blades and she tucked her head into the crook of your neck. Her short hair tickled your nose and you could smell her shampoo. Her whole body pressed against yours, slotting into you perfectly. Your dancing slowed, as the people around you continued weaving in circles to the fast paced music, the two of you clung to each other and moved to the beat of a song neither of you could hear.  
A hand curled against your hip and Adora pulled both of you against her. You released one of the arms holding Catra to wrap it around Adora and the three of you formed a tight circle.  
For a moment, you forgot all your promises about keeping your distance from them, about not getting in the way of their relationship. The way you fit in their arms made you feel utterly safe, despite the whirlwind of people out there, you felt like you were alone with them. They held you like they couldn’t bear to let you go, like you were just as important to them as they were to each other.  
The three of you danced in your small circle of peace, enjoying the feel of each other in your arms.   
After a while, the dance floor grew more crowded and you felt the need to take a breather. Adora noticed and suggested you go check out the temples. The three of you broke away from the group, your hand still firmly held in Adora’s as she led you to the great structures on the nearby hill.  
The short hike up helped clear your head, which was still reeling from Catra and Adora dancing with you.  
You were sure the temples were truly impressive and on any other day you would have enjoyed them but right now your emotions were whirling through your body. Your excitement about the way they had danced with you warring with your guilt and the bitter knowledge that they hadn’t meant it like that.  
While they were distracted by a particularly impressive statue of some historical figure, you slipped away. You headed up a small staircase at the back of the building, which you suspected was probably off limits. The staircase gave out onto the roof of the temple and for a moment you forgot why you were up here as you gaped at the spectacular view. You wished Catra and Adora were up here to enjoy it with you.  
You walked over to the edge and sat, letting your feet dangle down. You leant back and closed your eyes, enjoying the feel of the setting sun on your face.  
Below you the city was awash in a beautiful golden light and the overwhelming noise down in the streets faded to a comforting hubbub.   
The sound of footsteps behind you made you turn around and you saw Catra and Adora picking their way along the rooftop.  
“There you are, you just disappeared.” Adora said, sounding relieved.  
“Sorry, I just needed some time alone.”  
“It’s okay, mind if we join you?” Catra asked.  
You shifted a little to give them space and Adora settled down on your right. Catra dropped down on your other side. You were surprised she didn’t sit down next to Adora but the thought was quickly banished from your head when Adora rested her head against your shoulder, her hair tickling in your ear. Catra’s tail wrapped around your hips.   
You sat in silence as Catra and Adora stared out at the sunset and you tried your best to stay composed.  
Suddenly, you felt Adora sit up and turn towards you. You looked at her, eyes questioning. She looked nervous, her eyes flickering towards Catra. You felt Catra’s arms softly wrap around your waist.   
Adora fixed her breathtaking eyes on yours, a strangely open look on her face. Your heart picked up it’s pace and you swallowed nervously, not understanding what was happening.  
Adora’s gaze trailed slowly down to your lips. Behind you Catra spread her fingers across your stomach and tucked her head into the crook of your neck.   
Adora took your hands in hers and gently traced her thumbs across them. Her eyes lifted from staring at your lips to peering deep into your eyes and she leant forward. You felt your breath stop short in your chest as her lips grazed yours and behind you Catra placed a soft kiss just beneath your ear.  
Adora pulled you closer and deepened the kiss, leaning over you so you were supported by Catra, who was brushing soft kisses all along your neck and raking her claws gently over your stomach.  
One of Adora’s hands came up to run her fingers through your hair and you shivered when her nails brushed across your scalp.  
Reluctantly you broke away, Adora’s lips chased yours for a moment longer, clearly unwilling to end the moment.  
“Wh-what?” You stammered breathlessly.   
“We want this,” Catra whispered into your ear “we want you.”   
You turned to her and she looked back at you, the soft smile that was usually only reserved for Adora directed towards you.   
“You do?” You asked, still unable to believe the last few minutes had actually happened. “Ugh, are you blind? We’ve literally been flirting with you since we left Etheria.” Catra moaned.   
“Wait, what?”   
That hadn’t been flirting, had it? They were just being friendly. So maybe Bow and Glimmer had never cuddled with you the way they had, or complimented and touched you as much as they had. But that was just their way of showing affection right?   
“You’re worse than Adora.” Catra chuckled.  
You turned towards Adora, who was staring at you with a dopey smile on her face. “But, why now? You’ve had weeks to tell me how you feel.”  
“Well, we tried flirting with you, but you always pulled away so we thought you just weren’t interested.” She explained.  
You thought they were just trying to include you, you thought you were doing them a favour by giving them space and instead you had subconsciously rejected the two people you had been pining after for years.   
“I’m an idiot.” You groaned, throwing your head back to lean on Catra’s shoulder.   
“Yeah, kinda.” She chuckled before bending down to give you a soft peck on the lips. You felt your face flush at the casual gesture.  
“That doesn’t really answer my question. How did you find out I like you?”   
“We were talking to Glimmer about, uh, you.” Adora flushed.  
“And she stood up and shouted something about how she was so tired of this pining and that we should just shut up and kiss you already. Also, the way you acted when we were dancing with you kinda gave you away.” Catra supplied.  
“Oh,” You said, at a loss for words. Just minutes ago you had thought Catra and Adora would never want to be with you and now it turned out they had been flirting with you for weeks. Your head was still reeling from the emotional whiplash.  
“I’m dreaming right” All of this felt too perfect to be real.   
Catra pinched your cheek, hard.   
“Ow!”   
“Not dreaming then.” She smiled.   
“Okay, so what now?” You asked, trying to imagine a future with them after fleeing from the idea for so long.  
“Well, we would like to keep kissing you, so if it’s alright with you, I guess we could keep doing that?” Adora offered, scratching her neck awkwardly.   
“I would very much like to keep kissing you.” You said, a little too quickly.  
Catra chuckled and drew you into a deep kiss. When she pulled away she smirked mischievously. “Like that?”  
“Uh, yeah, that’s good.” You stammered.  
Adora smiled and wrapped her arm around you, turning back to the city. Catra curled her tail around the two of you possessively and you smiled down at her, relishing in the fact that you were allowed to stare at her as much as you wanted.  
“So, it’s really that easy? No near death experiences needed?” Adora joked.  
“We already had our near death experience, idiot.” You said.  
She and Catra chuckled.  
The three of you watched as the sun set over the alien planet. Sandwiched between your girlfriends, you finally felt like everything had fallen into place. You had found the happiness you had been searching for your whole life and a bright future awaited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm planning to add one more chapter as an epilogue, so we're not totally done yet but I just want to say thank you to all of you for the support. Writing this fic was really fun and I don't think I would have finished it if I didn't get so much support from all of you, so thank you <3


	10. Home Is Just A Room Full Of My Safest Sounds

You woke to Catra gently snoring in your ear. She was lying on her stomach, her head pressed against your arm and her tail curled around you. Adora was nowhere to be found. You figured she had woken up early and gone for a morning run. You and Catra preferred to spend the morning in bed. 

You looked down at the soft body pressed against you. Admiring the way the golden morning light lit up the patches of fur on her face. A chilly breeze floated in through the window and ruffled her short locks. She looked so soft and gentle in the morning light, nothing like the harsh commander you had faced on the battlefields. You wished all the people who still judged Catra harshly for her actions could see this gentle, fragile side of her. At the same time you wanted to keep this side of her within the four walls of your home, for only you and Adora to see. This gentleness that only existed in the safety of your arms. You ran a hand through her fluffy locks and subconsciously, she purred. 

You had nowhere to be anytime this morning so you figured you had time to make something more elaborate for breakfast. You had finally learnt to bake and found you really enjoyed it. It was something that kept your mind and body occupied without being too stressful. Being able to surprise your girlfriends without tasty treats was an added bonus.

You put on some soft music and hummed along as you mixed batter for pancakes. As you poured some mixture into a pan, you heard the door open and strong arms wrapped around your waist.

“Hey beautiful.” Adora whispered into your ear before placing a gentle kiss on your neck. 

“G’morning love.” You mumbled, then you pulled away when you realized where Adora had just come from. 

“Get off me, you’re gross.” You protested halfheartedly.

“Am not.” Adora pouted.

“Shower first, then kisses.” You commanded, smacking her softly on her butt.

“You’re mean.” Adora whined, sounding like a petulant child.

“Yes, absolutely heartless. Now go shower.” You deadpanned.

She chuckled and disappeared into the bathroom. You turned back to your pancakes and flipped the one in the pan just before it burned.

A wet tongue licked your hand and you crouched to scratch Melog’s head.

“Good morning sweetheart.” You cooed.

“So Melog gets a good morning but I don’t?” You heard Catra drawl from where she was leaning against the door frame. 

“As we all know, I love Melog the most.” You joked, then stood up and walked over to your girlfriend. She wrapped her arms around your neck and nuzzled her forehead against yours. 

“Good morning.” You breathed into the space between you.

“Good morning.” She whispered back. You gave her a quick kiss and headed back to the stove, flipping another pancake. Catra hopped up on the counter next to you.

“Did you sleep well?” You asked.

Catra hummed noncommittaly. You looked her over, noticing the bags under her eyes. Sleeping was still a struggle for the three of you and Catra had the most nightmares. It seemed to be getting better but there were still nights when she struggled. 

The door to the bathroom opened and Adora emerged in a cloud of steam and hot air, hair dripping wet. 

“Hey Catra!” She bounded over to her girlfriend and pulled her into a deep kiss. Catra wrapped her legs firmly around adora. You watched the two of them together, wrapped around each other so comfortably. Once, you had thought you had no place in their relationship, now you could not imagine it any other way. You sauntered over to them and pressed a kiss against Adora’s cheek. She hummed appreciatively and wrapped a hand around your wrist, pulling it against her chest. Catra curled into you and you stood there for a moment, savouring the feeling of your lovers pressed up against you.

Then you broke away to flip the last pancake onto the plate.

“Come on, food’s ready.”

The three of you curled up on the couch to eat. Which was definitely not proper etiquette. Your mother was probably rolling in her grave. Good. You nestled deeper into Adora’s arms.

“So, what are we going to do today?” Catra asked.

“Uh, don’t we have dinner with our friends tonight? Or was that tomorrow?” You tried to remember the date but planning things had never been your forte.

“It was tomorrow.” Adora supplied. “I was thinking we could go out for a picnic today. If you guys are in the mood?” 

“Sounds fun.” Catra said.

The three of you got ready to face the day ahead together. It still delighted you to see how well your routines fit together. Like puzzle pieces you moved through the practiced everyday motions. You imagined this is what family meant, moving in tandem like the cogs in a well oiled machine. 

While you brushed your teeth Adora came up behind you and started messing with your hair. She loved the feel of the strands between her fingers, at night, she loved to run her hands through them. She had been practicing her braiding and was now capable of doing something more complicated than a ponytail. She loved to experiment on you, seeing as Catra wasn’t really a fan of people messing with her hair.

She formed your hair into a beautiful crown braid and finished with a soft kiss on the back of your head. 

“All done.”

“It’s beautiful, dear.” She grinned at you.

You filled a large basket with an array of cheeses, fruits and some leftover pie from yesterday. 

Adora saddled Swift Wind and your mare, Hellebore and Melog changed sizes so Catra could comfortably ride on them. 

The three of you rode away from Bright Moon palace at a reasonable pace but as soon as you were properly in the woods you noticed Catra grinning at you mischievously.

“What?” You asked, because that grin was always bad news.

“Race?” She asked.

“Yeah!” Adora whooped and took off on Swift Wind. Melog sprung forward into the trees.

“Wait! That’s not fair, my horse can’t fly!” You called after them before spurring Hellebore forward. You might not be able to beat Adora but you could try to take over Catra. Your horse was one of the fastest horses in Bright Moon and you had spent months exploring the terrain around Bright Moon with her. She reacted easily to your commands and never slowed, even as you thundered over rocky creek beds and jumped over fallen trees. She was in her element here, the weeks of riding together and building trust showing in the way she didn’t hesitate to follow your commands. 

You whooped loudly as the wind rushed past you, you had flown Swift Wind before and you found riding Hellebore gave you the same feeling. The feeling of unbound joy and the leaping freedom of your heart. 

You saw Catra and Melog up ahead, slowing to cross a wider river. You bent Hellebore off to the side a little, towards a place where the river was shallower and easier to cross. She plunged into the cold water without hesitation and you stuck your tongue out at Catra, who was glaring at you.

Breathless, you arrived at the clearing, where Adora was already waiting for you, a triumphant smirk on her lips. Catra thundered into the clearing right after you.

“I win!” Adora crowed.

“That’s cheating, you have a flying horse.” Catra grouched.

“You’re the one who wanted to race.” 

Whilst your girlfriends bickered you dismounted and grabbed the picnic basket, hoping the fruits hadn’t been jostled too badly during the race. Most of the fruits seemed fairly intact, you picked out one bruised apple and offered it to Hellebore. She bit into it hungrily.

Catra grabbed a blanket and spread it out in the shadow of an old tree. You placed the picnic basket next to it and looked around the clearing. It was surrounded on three sides by the forest and gave way to a scraggly hill behind which a grand mountain range soared. The clearing itself was covered in a colourful array of wildflowers, ranging from a deep purple to a bright yellow. From between the trees, birds chittered and trilled, filling the air with excitement and joy. 

Adora emerged from the trees, eyes sparkling with excitement. 

“There’s a river just inside the treeline, we could go swimming!” 

Catra groaned. “Not swimming.”

“Yeah!” You cheered, then “Wait, we don’t have our swimsuits.”

“Do we really need our swimsuits?” Adora asked, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Catra snorted.

“Does that mean you’re coming swimming?” Adora asked her.

“Well I’m definitely watching, that’s for sure.”

You headed out to the river and Adora deftly stripped off all her clothes. You paused from where you were fiddling with the closures on your clothes to stare at her. It definitely wasn’t the first time you were seeing her without clothes but in the dappled light of the forest she looked different. The light spotted her skin with flecks of gold and the way she stood between the trees made her seem like she was a part of them. Like the dryads from the stories of old, she shone with the effervescent beauty of the forest. 

She turned to you. “You coming or what?”

You quickly stripped off your remaining layers and followed your girlfriend into the cool water. The water was a nice break from the sticky heat of the day and you plunged into it, skimming along the stones of the riverbed. When you came up for air, you noticed Catra watching from where she was sitting along the shore. You paddled over to her. 

“You’re not coming?” You knew she wasn’t a fan of water and that she had some bad memories associated with it, but it seemed to be getting better. The three of you had gone swimming before and Catra wasn’t so reluctant to take baths anymore. Which was a great relief to you and Adora. 

“Maybe later.” She chuckled, eyeing something behind you. You realized what was about to happen a millisecond before strong arms wrapped around you. Adora picked you up almost effortlessly and plunged you into the water. You swam deeper and grabbed her ankles, pulling her feet out from under her. She went down with a shout.

You faced her underwater, as the light rippled over her and her hair floated around her face. You reached forward and pulled her against you, your lips finding hers. You kissed in the cradle of the river, the light turning everything to green and gold. Finally you had to break the spell, your oxygen supply running low. The two of you broke the surface, gasping.

Catra stood uncertainly on the riverbank, her arms wrapped around herself. You and Adora swam up to her, taking her hand and gently leading her into the water. After a while, her tense muscles relaxed and the three of you splashed around in the river, letting yourself play all the childish games you had never gotten to play as a kid.

A while later, you dropped onto the picnic blanket, wet, tired but happy. Adora spread out the selection of cheeses and Catra took out a knife to cut up one of the juicy peaches you had packed.

She held a piece out to you, juice dripping down her fingers.

“Open up.” She commanded. You leant forward obligingly, flicking your tongue along her thumb before taking the fruit with your teeth. Catra licked the juice off her fingers before cutting another piece for Adora.

You enjoyed the simple meal, whilst the food in Bright Moon was miles better than Horde ration bars, the endlessly fancy and delicate treats sometimes grew tiresome. You relished the strong cheeses and sweet fruits.

After you had eaten, you sat against a tree, Catra’s head cradled in your lap as she told you about her trip to Salineas with Mermista. Adora wandered around the clearing, looking for flowers to braid into your hair.

“Red or purple?” She asked, holding up two flowers for inspection.

“Purple.” Catra answered, right as you said “Red.”

You laughed.

“Both then!” Adora said and set to work on your hair.

When evening fell, you climbed the hill on the other side of the clearing. From here you had a spectacular view of the sunset as it painted the mountain range in stunning colours. A soft breeze ruffled your hair and picked up one of the flowers, making it dance over the flowerfield. 

Adora curled her hand into yours and you pressed closer to her, closing your eyes and just letting yourself enjoy the peace that came with summer evenings. The hushed sensation of a world laying itself to rest after a vibrant day. The chatter of birds as they flew home to their partners, the rustling of leaves in the cool breeze that chased out the summer heat. Nights like these made the Fright Zone seem like a distant nightmare, made the smog choked wasteland seem like nothing more than a mirage spawned from a twisted fantasy. Your mother had been wrong, ruling that loveless place had never been your destiny. Standing here, hand in hand with the people you loved, in a world saved by their love, that was your destiny.

“Hey, you guys want to get married?” Adora asked out of the blue.

“That’s how you’re proposing?” Catra snorted.

Adora smiled sheepishly. “Is that a yes?”

“Of course you idiot.” Catra replied fondly.

They looked at you, you took their hands in yours, pressed them against your chest and met their eyes. “Yes.” You whispered, feeling like everything in your life had led to this moment. You were certain you would do it all again if it meant it ended here, on this hill, hand in hand with your two lovers.

They smiled at you, twin smiles that shone so much brighter than any of the moons that orbited Etheria. You were finally home but your story wasn’t done yet, you hoped to fill the book of your life with many more days like this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We did it guys! When I posted this I really didn't expect so much support for this fic so thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments. I hope you enjoyed reading it and I look forward to hearing what you guys think about the last chapter. Love you all <3


End file.
